The invention relates to a method and device for entering and displaying data for controlling a printing machine, especially for data for controlling a plurality of servomotors for adjusting machine control elements for the ink film thickness profile and the dampening-fluid film thickness profile and for the register adjustment positions of an offset printing machine.
In a conventional printing machine control panel, it is known that the actual positions of the controlling elements, in this case the positions of the servomotors for the elements may be indicated by means of a matrix of light-emitting diodes on a display panel. The servomotors for the individual ink cylinders can be switched on by the machine operator by means of pushbuttons or keys on the control panel so that the operator can selectively adjust the position of the ink-control elements. Furthermore, a device is known wherein desired values for the position of the ink-control elements can be entered into the control panel and wherein the ink-control elements are subsequently automatically adjusted until they reach the desired position. The desired values can be introduced manually, for example by means of potentiometers. These desired values are entered in order, for example, at the beginning of a printing job, to preset the ink-controlling elements of the printing machine, in which case the desired values may, for example, have been obtained from a previous, identical printing job. The desired values, however, may alternatively be entered by the machine operator during the job in progress in order to overcome undesirable ink feed deviations in the printed product which might, for example, result from ambient temperature changes.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and device for entering and displaying data controlling a printing machine, wherein the machine operator can enter data and control commands and variations thereof, in a very simple and rapid fashion.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a device wherein the control panel serves simultaneously to indicate the information as it is being entered, and in particular wherein the control panel at least indicates actual position values for the ink-control elements. The section of the control panel providing such indication is referred to hereinafter as the display panel. It is possible that the entire control panel is a display panel.
It is further an object of the invention to provide such a method and device wherein the entering of data and control commands is simple and rapid. For example, if the operator has to enter new or changed desired position values for individual, several or all the ink-control elements, he is merely required to pass a light pen over the display panel and he does not have to operate a screw or pushbutton or key or the like for each ink controlling element. The way the operator moves the light pen over the display panel is generally in the form of a curve corresponding to the required ink film thickness profile. This ink film thickness profile indicates the ink quantities in the individual ink zones. It is, therefore, unnecessary for the operator to apply the light pen repeatedly to specific points on the display panel, and then remove the light pen from the point and reapply it to a new point. It is readily apparent, however, that the adjustment procedure can also be performed by applying the light pen to predetermined points of the display panel. Regarding the maximum speed at which the operator may pass the light pen along the display panel, reference is made to the more detailed description hereinafter.
Although the invention is explained mainly in conjunction with the process of entering values for adjusting the ink-control elements for the ink film thickness profile, it is an added object of the invention to provide such a method and device which further permits the entry of other data, for example for adjusting the registers of a printing machine by means of which it is possible to precisely match the images of different ink colors. Moreover, it is possible to enter control commands by means of the light pen.